


In Hot Water

by OneLetteredWonder



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Control of Elements, Elemental Magic, Friendship, Gen, Government Conspiracy, Kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-09
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-08-29 23:18:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 23,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8509414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneLetteredWonder/pseuds/OneLetteredWonder
Summary: The elementals are seen as just a myth which is why they are sent to the facility, to stay hidden and learn to control themselves. Matthew is tasked to look after Lovino, a dangerous fire kind, maybe the last of them. Just as they are able to be friends, their abilities are put to the test when the other children go missing.





	1. Prologue

_For years, the existence of people with control over the elements has been proved. There is evidence for them in ancient markings and pictures, depicting and telling stories of how the ground moved with them or how the water rolled right off their bodies. For years the acceptance of these beings truly being alive has been a simple fact of life. The rest of the people never questioned and never sought to find out more about these beings. They left them alone and thought of the elementals as simply another myth or an entity to praise. The humans coexisted peacefully._

_For years, the genetics of these elementals have been dying out along with the belief of their existence. The people just stopped. They still thought of the ancient markings, but thought them nothing more than misconstructed sights and myths for children to believe in. The fact that many cultures described beings with control over elements brushed to mere coincidence. It's a common folktale. A bedtime story._

_For years, the governments of the word have been finding these elementals, as young as they possibly can, and sending them away from their families. As much as the parents cry and beg, the government hushes them with all they can. They can not let the secret out now that the legends of old are true. Not after all the work they've done, integrating and hiding their existence from the rest of the world. Not after setting away a facility in the upper regions of a country whose name slips minds more often than not, and teaching the children how to control and be safe in their environments._

_By far one of the most mature ideas any government could have come up with._

_There are four main groups of elementals. Water, air, earth, and fire. The most common type of element control is air. People in control of this element usually have hyperactive personalities. They are excitable, they like to breeze through life, and just love to get around and about. It's their life to explore and be free._

_Water controllers are the second most common. Though becoming more rare. Water persons generally have a laid back kind of personality, they 'go with the flow' as to say. It takes a lot to get a water person angry. Water types like to be in calm environments, but can keep up with the heavy rapids of life._

_Earth types are the second most rare kind in the world today. An earth person is very hard to get through on the outside. They seem mostly angry or irritated or even emotionless. This is not true. The earth kind have a hard shell to get through. It takes a lot to get an earth person to open and trust someone enough to be comfortable around them._

_The rarest kind of control is fire. The reason for this is simple. Fire types have an intense amount of energy and are often quick to temper. Most fire energy is fueled by emotions, and when child is young, throwing a tantrum can cause devastating results. Fire kinds are hard to get to. They are standoffish and usually quick to push people away._

_Every elemental has something special about them, different from person to person on what they can do in speciality. Some air types can fly, while others can run really fast. Some earth types can bend metal while others can construct and build. There are a few things that are consistent with every element no matter who the person is. Air types always have a breeze with them. Water types are always cool to the touch. Fire types always feel warm to the touch. Earth types are really good at giving hugs._

_Every elemental can control their respective element, and then some. As said before, some earth controllers can bend metal. This is a rarity in itself. Specified abilities come from a very specific set of genetics. Being able to bend an in between element is uncommon. At the same time, some people are born with the gift to control two elements. The mixture of which two depends on the parents involved and the ancestry behind them. There are rumors that someone can have a dominant element as well as a smaller power over a secondary force. However, specified bending and double bending are still more common than a fire type. To have someone who can bend fire and another element is seen as a myth even in the believing community._

_When the elements work together, they can create and do amazing things. A water type and an air type can change the clouds and shape them to desired patterns. An earth type and a fire type can control lava and other various forms of molten rock._

_However, while the elements can work together, there is always the possibility of clashing personalities. Water kinds are the most enjoyable and the most likely to get along with the others. Air types come next on the list. While they might get along with everyone, there are others who see them as a nuisance. Earth types tend to stick to themselves and keep away from others. It takes a persistent air, or a very easy going water type to be able to get through their shell and earn their trust. Fire kinds generally don't like anybody and have a hard to connecting with anyone._

_Just because two people are of the same element does not mean they will get along._

_None of the elements are better or worse than the others. They all need to get along in order for the world to work. No one person is better than someone else just because of what element they can control. A water type can not grow plants without the help of the earth. A fire type can not breathe without the air. To believe oneself more than others is to have lost sight of nature and balance. To think oneself lower than another is to have lost sight of their own importance._

_Each elemental has a specific way of guiding their element, each a designated way of gaining control. Air types use a lot of breathing, drawing their power from the space around them and the typical excitement in their own systems. Water kinds have a more fluid way, like dancing with their element, drawing their control from the peaceful and their own sense of calm seated deep within their being. Earth types are strongholds, sticking to keep their body as connected to the ground as possible, drawing their energy from their core and moving in sharp and precise motions. Fire types are flowy, big motions and wide arcs with their body, a mixture of dancing with their element and breathing it in, drawing their energy from their emotions._

_Each type is dangerous in it's own way. All are still prone to act recklessly in certain situations. Controlling their abilities is difficult under pressure and stress, especially in the thought of being caught. Water types have the most difficulty and ease with this. Their deep seated calm makes it easy for them to think clearly and gain control of their element. The problem is they need a source, they can not apparate water from nowhere without a lot of practice. Their getting caught is more likely. On the other hand, fire types are most dangerous in terms of control. Their element is closely linked to their emotions, so when under stress or angry, their element levels will spike and cause damage to those around them._

_Other elements can cause serious harm to the others if they are not careful and mindful of their surroundings._

_At the facility built by a government up in the woods, away from a small town whose name is not important, in a country rarely written about in history books does the building sit. It has all the necessary components in order to train and better raise the young elementals sent there. There are dirt fields, bordered by massive boulders. There is a lake owned by the facility, change to vary in depths as well as a simple indoor pool. There are high hoops placed in the sky and sharp angled walls. There is an arena a bit farther off in a clearing with scorch marks against the rocks and metal dummies burnt black. There is also a workout room of regular recreational use._

_Very few teachers work in the building. Some are regular government officials, checking through mail and making sure that all the students are accounted for. Some are teachers sworn to secrecy. They teach simple math and work as grammar instructors when the students have to write essays. They have a history class of the regular humans around them as well as a history class of the life of elementals before them. Every single student is taught to be humble, to never use their powers maliciously, to understand some people are scared of them. They are taught there is nothing wrong with them._

_Most students govern their own training unless in special need. They get a schedule, telling what they should practice on based off a test they take every two weeks to better hone and control their element. Sometimes, the students are allowed to take a trip to the little town and pretend to be normal. They are always chaperoned._

_It's a normal school besides that. They get small bits of homework, nothing taking more than an hour to complete, if that long. Most students spend their free time training or playing games with the other students. They come from all over the world. As soon as a government finds out that a citizens has the potential to be elemental, they keep tabs on them, and when it is confirmed, they are taken from their family, no matter the age. The families are able to contact their children. Letters, video and phone calls, even visits to the facility in general._

_Language barriers are difficult to overcome with the amount of students being sent to the school from all over the world._

_It is the best kept secret. From families and the governments in general being able to hide this from the public is phenomenal. They say it's because the students are a danger to the rest of the population. Some believe it's because more often than not, it's just children. They don't know any better and they need guidance and care. They need help. They need a place they can feel safe. They need each other._

_But it's just a myth. People who can control the elements don't really exist._


	2. Chapter 2

The only reason Matthew can do so much with his element is because he's been in the program since he turned two. His father worked for the government that runs the facility to train kids. He's been living there for as long as he can remember. He visits his dad on the weekends when he begs the teachers at the right times.

Matthew doesn't know who his mother is. When his dad finally gained the courage to tell him about her, he found out that the woman up and left a year after delivering Matthew into the world. He didn't mind so much. His dad had been good enough for him, plus the teachers are always helpful to him and his needs, as they should be.

They found out about his ability a few months after his mom running off. Matthew had cried and cried and cried. His younger self not being able to understand the loss of the person who fed and carried him. His tears grew thick and flooded the house. Then of course there had been the time he fell into the pool and his dad found him gurgling and clapping his hands happily at the bottom of the pool, completely fine. His dad had reluctantly enrolled him into the school after that, looking out for his safety. He had been allowed to stay with Matthew at the school for a few years to make sure he would be alright.

Matthew has heard all the lectures and knows all the history. There is nothing more for him to do other than train more and keep himself busy. He helps out some with the government officials, trying to sense out other water energies. Mostly though, he sits in a classroom of younger aged students, helping them along in their homework, and giving them answers when he's not supposed to. He helps at the training grounds to those that need it. Sometimes he swims the whole day without break.

His hair is tinged green from the amount of water he exposes himself to.

Today Yao, one of the younger grade teachers is going over some extremely basic element knowledge. The youngers are sitting on the edge of their seats. This is the first time some of them have ever heard of their history and what they all have in common. Yao is breezing about the room talking quickly and making jokes and waving his hands excitedly as he talks. The students are giggling in the youthfulness, loving the attention and the knowledge they are not alone.

Yao picks a few students at random, including Matthew himself to come to the front of the class. They're going to play a game to see what they remember. The students will get a chance to see if they can tell who is what element. Yao goes first. The students guess his element easy. He laughs and steps off the ground, a small vortex of air swirling up underneath him to hold him off the ground. The kids giggle and cheer at the display.

A little girl is up for guess next. The students can't ask questions to determine what they control. A little boy, brave as can be come over to the girl and waves his hands around her head making her burst into a fit of giggles. A brush of air sweeps through the room. They all guess her as air then. She envelops the room in the smell of flowers.

Another little girl is up for guesses. Again, the same method is applied, but the air does not change, so the little students rule out air as her element. A brave girl stands up and hugs the one up for guesses. She jolts excitedly at the cool touch of her skin. The girl takes the water out of a bottle and swirls it around her hand at the right guess.

A boy looks uncomfortable with all the eyes on him. He's fidgeting in his spot. The students are perplexed by him. Yao tells them to think about what they've learned. A small boy in the back comes closer and hugs the twitching boy. He relaxes and hugs him back. After a few seconds the guess of earth is made. The uncomfortable boy stomps his foot on the ground and cube of earth rips through the tile flooring. Yao laughs about how he will have to fix that later.

"Now I want you all to just watch Matthew to see if you can tell what element he is," Yao instructs the class, floating to the back of the room to enjoy the show. The other students have sat down, now it's just Matthew standing at the front with a soft smile on his face and his hands in his pockets leisurely.

"How are we supposed to do that?" A little girl asks. Yao smiles down at her reassuringly.

"Think of the typically personality traits connected with each element," Yao says as a hint. The students go back to peering at Matthew. He just smiles gently at them all.

"Air..?" Says a little boy. Yao hums and asks him why. When the boy can't come up with a solid answer because the other students are pointing out why he's wrong he sticks his tongue out at them with a laugh and gives up.

"Earth!" Shouts a girl from the back. Yao again asks her why. While her answer is more logical, the other students tell her that's not true. She huffs a little more than the boy at being wrong.

"He's got to be water then!" Shouts a boy in the front. The students let out a collective 'oohhh' at finding the right answer. Yao asks them to explain why. They pick out things Matthew didn't think they'd notice, but is not surprised they saw. His lightly green tinted hair, the easy way he's standing, the soft smile, the bracelet with water in it. Some girl breaks the rules and hugs him tight. Matthew laughs when she exclaims about his cool skin.

"Mr. Yao?" Says a girl in the corner timidly. The teacher blinks his expressive eyes to her, prompting her to continue. She gulps.

"How come there are no fire students?" She asks with a soft voice. Instantly, all the eyes in the room turn to Yao. His smile slips a little and his wind seat evaporates. He walks slowly through the aisles.

"Fire on it's own, can be very harmful to people," Yao says softly, trying to explain as delicately as he can the reason. Matthew scuffs his shoes at the ground. When you get older, they tell you the real reason fire children don't make it.

"Sometimes, the fire children, don't have enough control, and their bodies burn up before they can control it," Yao sighs sadly. The students gives worried glances to each other at the information. Matthew gulps. Their bodies burn alright, usually because they can't control their emotions and they set everything on fire, including themselves, or bring buildings down on top of them. Matthew grits his teeth at his sadness.

"Do you know any fire people?" A boy asks in the middle of the room. Yao hums in thought.

"I have known one in my life. Very bright and strong, a but temper worthy of a prize," Yao laughs easily, relaxing the dark mood immensely.

"I think it'd be cool to control fire," Says a boy in the back. Matthew smiles at his innocence. Yao keeps his smile on his face.

"It is very hard, not only to control, but to allow people to be close to you. Many fire types throughout history are afraid of hurting their loved ones to the point of running away." Yao says gently. The students shift their feet awkwardly. Matthew has never known a fire type. In all his years at the school, it's never happened. He knows someone who can control lightning, but not fire. It's been rumored that the genetics to produce a fire offspring have disappeared completely. Matthew doesn't want to believe that. He wants to have hope for their kind.

A soft toned bell sounds out and the children jump to their feet. Yao calls out to them to be careful. Some of the students group to their own element, others branch out, forming mixed groups. Matthew smiles as they leave the room.

"Wonderful lesson as always for the first day," Matthew says with a light chuckle. He leans against the wall and watches Mr Yao ruffles through some minor homework papers. He laughs loudly at the praise.

"One day Matthew, I will get you to teach the first year class like this. Maybe for the younger kids, but not the older ones, they hate authority as much as it is." Yao despite being a professional, stick his tongue out at the idea of teenagers. Matthew snickers at his action. He's only 17 himself. Some of the kids in his age range are terrible. He likes most of them well enough though.

"You going to see your dad soon?" Yao asks with a smile. Matthew nods his head. He's on a personal level with the teacher. Having been under Yao's care since he started school. His dad and the man got along perfectly well. After their goodbyes, Matthew wanders about the school. He exits the younger age wing towards the older wing where his peers attend their simple lessons.

He saunters down the hall without a care in the world. A few kids wave to him while others just nod their head in acknowledgement. Having been there so long, he knows a lot of the kids who have come through. He's made friends with most of them too or has at least helped them find friends they can get along with. He waves down the hall towards Ivan who is smiling softly at him.

"Hey Ivan," Matthew says when he gets in hearing range. Ivan giggles and picks him up in a hug. Who ever figured out that Earth types are the best huggers is a genius in Matthew's book. Ivan sets him down gently.

"What is Matvey up to today?" Ivan asks tugging a tuft of his hair. Matthew shrugs, telling him he just came from Yao's room. Ivan hums in response. They have been friends for a year or so now. Matthew helped him with his English when he first moved to the rooms. Ivan had been cold to him at first, glaring daggers and wanting nothing to do with him. Matthew just stayed with him. Ivan eventually opened up and now graces Matthew with sweet smiles and lots of hugs.

"Think I'm gunna head to the lake," Matthew says, twisting his nose. Ivan smiles brightly and waves to him on his way. Matthew skips down to the lake, ignoring the stares he's receiving. He sheds his shirt and pulls off his shoes. He thinks nothing of it taking off his pants. After so long of being at the school, he knows by now he will eventually head to the water. He's started wearing his swimsuit under his clothes.

He steps into the water, just enough to cover his feet. He takes a few deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling with the tide. After a minute, the water is breathing with him. Matthew pushes the rest of his way into the water, letting is swirl around him and pull him along. The water knows him better than anyone. It senses his mood and comforts him like a long lost friend. It's his safe spot. Well, his and the rest of the water students.

He dives down, kicking his legs to propel him farther into the murky water. His eyes adjust to see clearly. The few fish living in the lake swim up next to him and dance alongside him as he twirls beneath the surface. He gave them names at one point, but he forgot them all. He's sure the fish don't mind too much. He pushes farther down to a cave hidden by a few rocks. He barely gasps for air when he surfaces in the tiny waterless pocket. He leans against the cave wall. He loves this little cubby. Very few of the water students can go as far as he can, so for now, it's his to keep. He stays in the water until he hears a voice calling to him under the water to go eat.

Matthew resurfaces with a large splash. Arthur is shielding his body with a slight pout. The water is suspended mid air in front of him. He drops his hands and so does the water. Matthew giggles softly and stands up. He's dry. He puts his clothes on as Arthur teases him for his indecency. Arthur is one of his longest lasting friends. It helped that Arthur spoke English already. Matthew loves to watch Arthur work in his little patch of garden next to the lake. It's a small spread of dirt with a brown fence around it. Arthur is very proud of It. There is a rose bush and plenty of herbs Matthew can't remember the name of.

Arthur is one of the few he knows with a dual ability. He's more proficient in his earth welding abilities, but his water tricks aren't bad. He prefers the feel of sand above all else though. Matthew calls it mud. They walk together to the mess hall area. The little kids are sitting together, talking excitedly about the newcomers. Matthew sighs involuntarily. He forgot about that. They sit at a table together and wait for the others.

"NEW PEOPLE!" Matthew cringes at the loud voice now in his ear and the weight now on his back. He gives a strained smile to Alfred over his shoulder. The excited American is wiggling himself back and forth on Matthew back making it impossible for him to eat properly. He gets off when Arthur scolds him for being a child. Alfred is one of the youngest of their group. He also came into the program early, his father finding out about his air ability when Alfred jumped up and just didn't come down.

"Ah yes, the newcomers," Francis purrs, sliding in next to Matthew. Alfred shakes his arms back and forth and almost hits Arthur and Ivan in the face when he sits down. Ivan sighs and takes a seat on the other side of Matthew.

"I wonder where they will be from," Arthur ponders, scrunching up his face in thought. Matthew snuffs once. There are so many kids from all over, it's hard to keep track.

"I wonder what they are going to be able to controoooooool," Alfred says aloud, using air to spin him in his seat. Arthur groans and wiggles a seat away from him. Francis laughs at the action.

"Mon ami I think you are causing a ruckus non?" Francis says gently. Alfred pauses in his circles, blinking dizzily in Francis's directions. Matthew smiles gently at Francis wiggling his finger, a stream of water swirl it's way up out of his cup. It splashes Alfred in the face unexpectedly, causing the air user to sputter and fall backwards out of his seat. Matthew covers his mouth to hide his giggles, though Alfred is laughing over any noise he could make anyway.

Their little group came together a few years ago when Francis had come to the school. He stuck with Matthew, seeing as they had the same elemental ability. Also, they both spoke French. Matthew loved being able to speak another language and be able to converse with someone. Alfred had already attached himself to Matthew and Arthur, thought he British boy didn't want to have anything to do with Alfred clinging to his arms. Matthew introduced Francis to Ivan first to be safe. Ivan took a shine to Francis right away, Matthew had been impressed. On the other hand, Francis got under Arthur's skin immediately. Ivan and Alfred liked him though, so he got to stick around.

It's been the five of them. They haven't branched out much more than each other. Matthew can talk to others, and he's sure his friends have other people to go to, but he worries. He hopes they do have someone else to go to.

"Why the new people coming so late?" Alfred asks, sticking his tongue out halfway and making his spoon spin on the table. Arthur huffs.

"It's not that late, just a week. Have you honestly not been keeping up with the news?" Arthur asks him haughtily. Alfred doesn't catch the tone shaking his head with a bright smile. Matthew chuckles.

"Some government is trying to round up other elementals to fight in an army. They needed to be sure the students coming actually have gifts as well as make sure the countries aren't keeping secrets," Francis explains smoothly, sipping at his straw. The straw isn't actually in the cup. But it's being sucked up all the same. It splashes to the table when Arthur flicks his hand sharply.

"You shouldn't be using your gift without reason," Arthur hisses. The empty threat makes Francis laugh. Matthew giggles just a little too. Their banter is beautiful to him. It's light and happy. The news Francis told Alfred isn't new to him. He had known about the possible threats of stealing elementals from Yao. He didn't see how someone could do such a thing. It was scary nonetheless. They spend the rest of the night with easy laughter and simple talk. The weekend would prove to be interesting.


	3. Chapter 3

Friday morning Matthew wakes with a loud yawn. He lazily throws his hand to the side and lifts it up in a swooping arc near his face. A splash of cold water hits him hard. He sits up breathing heavily. He shakes his head to shake some of the water from his hair. It's the most brutal alarm clock he could think of to get him out of bed. He glances at the swirling pool of water in the corner of his room. All the elementals have rooms special for them. The air types have their rooms near the roof for easy access and plenty of windows. The water types have a small pool. Earth types have dirt floors on the ground levels. Fire types, from what he's heard, have fireplaces.

He stretches lazily. Today is going to be bustling with so many people. He doesn't know how many new kids are coming. He's sure none of them will be super old. No one hides from the government that long. They are all found eventually. He slips out of bed and floods the floor. He soaks up energy from the water, letting it swirl around him and clean his body as well as wake his muscles from their sleepy state. He throws on a regular pair of jeans over his swimsuit and a baggy t-shirt. He doesn't wear shoes today.

He walks lazily to the wing where the rest of the older kids are milling about and talking in whispers. There is no way the school wouldn't find out about the newcomers. Yao told his student when it got confirmed anyway. Maybe Matthew had something to do with the news spreading, but that's just details. He flops against the locker where Francis is looking at a notebook with disgust.

"I do not like the way this teacher teaches." He says bitterly. Matthew snickers and smiles at him. Even though Francis has control over the water and his personality reflects that calm, Francis sometimes turned into rapids when something bugged him. Most of the time it took a lot to get a water type angry. Francis may very well be the exception to that generalization.

"MATTIEMATTIEMATTIE" Matthew closes his eyes tight, a strained smile on his face, waiting for the impact cause he knows it's coming. And does it come. He's thrown off his feet at Alfred barreling into him full force with a gust of air. Luckily, Alfred now has the common sense to cushion their fall instead of letting Matthew just crash. He smiles up at Alfred staring wide eyed at him with excitement. Before he can ask what Alfred is so hyped about, hyped more than normal, Alfred is yanking him up to his feet and grabbing Francis on the way.

Alfred uses some of the air around them to lift their steps higher to give them more speed. Matthew is laughing now as Francis complains about his hair. He looks to Alfred as a little brother. He took the air type under his wing so to say when he first came. Alfred had been on the younger end as well, just turning five while most of the kids that enter the facility are seven or eight at least. He helped Alfred with his powers until a regular teacher took charge. Alfred is one of the few air types with amazing control over his ability.

Alfred drags them to the front of the building. Arthur is there and so is Ivan. Yao is waiting along with another teacher, Ms Elizabeta, another air type, with a small affinity for earth. She greets them politely with a smile on her face. There are few of the older kids with them. Matthew knows now what is happening. They are the welcome party. Matthew has an easy smile on his face when the bus rolls up to the doors.

He watches simply as the kids pile off the bus. Alfred is bouncing in his spot far more than normal. He can tell which kids belong to which group easily. The ones smiling and bouncing are air. The ones looking around uncomfortably are earth. The rest are water, waiting for whatever comes next. They enter the building and Alfred can't take it anymore. He skips forward, the air behind him twirling violently. He rushes up to a kid who is also jittery, glancing around at everything. The two hit it off instantly. Matthew rolls his eyes and steps forward, placing a hand on Alfred's shoulder to calm him.

"Sorry about that, he gets excited," Matthew laughs easily. Alfred's blue eyes are shining brightly. The kid in front of him laughs loudly, tossing his head back. His hair is white and he's shaking from enjoyment. He regards Matthew happily with red eyes.

"This is the awesomest fucking thing I've ever seen and there are so many people and that vortex thing was so cool you need to teach me how to do that. This is so cool, I'm Gilbert," The boy says extending a hand. Alfred takes it shaking it wildly. Ivan walks past them with a sigh, walking up to Arthur and another boy with blonde hair slicked back. Matthew makes his exit from Alfred towards them.

"I'm Ludwig," He hears the blonde say stiffly, shaking Arthur's hand, then Ivan's. Matthew holds out his hand as well, though Ludwig takes it apprehensively.

"Matthew," He says. He can feel the dirt on Ludwig's palm, further confirming his suspicion that the boy is an earth type. He relaxes at the name given to him. They exchange welcomes before Matthew is off again to stand next to Francis and a boy who is smiling widely at everything and nothing.

"And I used to have a turtle, but mama says he ran away but I think he got eaten because that's what happens to turtles when they run away," He says a matter o'factly, nodding his head vigorously, still a smile on his face despite that his topic is macabre. Matthew giggles and introduces himself quickly.

"Antonio!" He says happily in return hugging Matthew instead of shaking his hand. Matthew lets out a noise of shock. Francis pulls the boy off him to distract him more. He says hello to a few more new students, talking softly to the younger ones who do not have someone of their age to greet them. They warm up to him and his gentle smiles. He peeks over his shoulder, still kneeling on the ground where he accepted a hug from a very shy earth girl. Alfred is talking wildly, gesturing his hands to Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis. There's a small whirl being produced in his hands, though Matthew's not sure he notices.

Suddenly Alfred pauses and shrieks, rushing past Matthew on the ground to someone else. Matthew follows his gaze to two boys, holding hands, looking extremely similar. Matthew stands, catching his balance as the other three follow after Alfred's trail of gust. He saunters up next to them. Alfred is holding hands now with one of the boys, both wild excited smiles on their faces. The other one, is scowling to the side, his arms now crossed. Matthew almost calls Arthur over to talk to the earth type, but something stops him.

"Feliciano! And this is my brother Lovino," Shouts the one holding Alfred's hands. He giggles and gestures to the grumpy one next to him. He grimaces, not looking at them, holding tighter to himself.

"I don't think we've ever had siblings before," Matthew muses absent mindedly. The others turns to him and nods, now talking excitedly about the twins. The amount of air types around him is getting a little unnerving. Matthew sighs and takes a step back and around them to talk to the one glaring at the ground. Before he can utter a word, the one who introduced himself as Antonio starts talking to the one named Lovino.

"Oh it's so nice to meet you! You're really cute, I'm an air type what-"

"Don't fucking call me cute," The boy snaps, glaring hard at Antonio. The air type is unfazed, grabbing Lovino by the hands, yanking his arms out of their crossed position. Lovino's eyes go wide. Matthew watches with anticipation as the ground near Lovino starts to smoke. Antonio takes no notice at how ragged Lovino looks trying to get away from him. He's twisting his arms violently, forcing his hands out of the air type's hold. The air around him is fogged with smoke now. Feliciano is cooing at him, making Lovino scowl more. He's shaking. Matthew barely has time to shout out. He throws up a wall of water from the nearby fountain in the room, just in time to block the fire raging out of Lovino's hands.

Matthew steps through the water wall. Everyone else is safely tucked behind him. The fire is gone now. Matthew is staring wide eyed with his arms still up at Lovino. The boy is glaring at him, almost snarling. Matthew lets his hands drop. The room is quiet. Yao awkwardly clears his throat.

"Well, why don't you show your new classmates their rooms." He ushers everyone quickly out of the room with a few strong winds. Elizabeta flicks up the ground at their heels for good measure. Everyone is gone, besides Matthew, the two teachers, and the brothers. Feliciano is crying, clinging to Lovino hard, though the other looks like he would rather be anywhere else. He's clenching and unclenching his fists, little puffs of smoke escaping each time.

"What is your name?" Elizabeta asks gently. Yao comes over to Matthew and places a hand on his shoulder. Matthew just looks at the ground. His mind is a whirlwind of thoughts. Fire. Fire had come from Lovino's hands.

"Feliciano," The air type says. He's sniffling but smiling up at Ms Elizabeta. She turns her gaze to Lovino now. He glares at her.

"Lovino." He spits out. She doesn't let his tone bother her. She glances over and waves Matthew forward. He obeys.

"This is Matthew. Lovino, you are going to be under his care while here," she smiles sweetly. All the eyes turn to her wide with shock.

"What?!" Matthew and Lovino say at the same time, though Lovino sounds more angered than Matthew could ever attempt. Ms Elizabeta simply smiles.

"Matthew is the most proficient water elemental in the whole school. He will stay with you to help you and train you an-"

"I don't fucking need help," Lovino snaps at her. Elizabeta lets her smile drop slightly. Yao is shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"Don't think of it as help," Matthew says with a shrug. Lovino turns his fiery glare to him. Matthew doesn't shrink away from it. He's used to Ivan's icey eyes, this is just completely opposite.

"How the fuck is that supposed to work?" Lovino says, stepping away from his brother and right into Matthew's face. They are the same height. Matthew just blinks calmly at him. He smiles gently. The action makes Lovino bristle.

"I don't know," Matthew says honestly. He just had a thought and said it. Lovino growls and pushes roughly at his shoulders. Matthew stumbles back, his clothing searing at his body. He glances down at his shirt. Two holes in the shape of Lovino's hands are burning themselves onto his skin. He hisses lightly. Feliciano begins to fuss how mean Lovino is. Matthew swirls his hand and a coat of water circles it. He places it against his shoulder and focuses his energy in healing it. The water cools him just enough to make the burn less worse.

He glances at Lovino. The boy is now glaring at the ground, his arms back crossed over his chest. Matthew can see the pain in his expression. He just doesn't know why it's there. Mr Yao guides Feliciano to his room. Matthew wordlessly leads Lovino to his room, the only occupied room in the fire wing. Matthew is about to tell Lovino that he will be outside his door tomorrow so he can show him around the school but Lovino slams the door in his face. Matthew sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He walks off down the hall slowly. He glances back at Lovino's door every so often. He's worried.

He finds himself at the pool. He strips down to his swimsuit mindlessly. There's only a few other students there, splashing on one side of the pool. Matthew dives in and swims to the other side easily, then back, and back, and back again without coming up for air. When he finally does he hears a rather loud voice.

"Hot damn I thought you died and yet could still move your body how did you not come up for air that whole time?" Matthew blinks his eyes up at Gilbert laying on his stomach at the edge of the pool, resting his chin in his hands. Matthew smiles gently at the newcomer.

"In case you haven't noticed, water is kind of my thing," Matthew says teasingly. Gilbert snickers and splashes at the water.

"So I heard, yes I heard already, I'm just that awesome, that you're going to be looking after the fire dude right? Well Toni said he was sorry he didn't mean to cause such a fussery," Gilbert says sticking his tongue out. Matthew rolls his eyes.

"I will let Lovino know," He smiles at Gilbert once more, before letting the water pull him down. He sits at the bottom of the pool, then shoots forward to the other side. He's vaguely aware of the small whirlpool that follows him. He surfaces and spins it around his finger. Alfred may be able to create a tornado, but whirlpools are cool too. He tosses it in the air and lets it come undone, raining down on the other people there. They are smaller so they cheer with glee at the show of power. Matthew smiles and sinks back down to the bottom of the pool. Dreading the next day deep down in his stomach.


	4. Chapter 4

Matthew is leaning against the wall outside of Lovino's door. He can hear the boy snoring and the fire crackling in the fire pit. He'll wait patiently for the boy to wake up. They have all day to explore. He'll admit that he read up on his fire lore. He's going to do his best to stay on Lovino's good side. They are temperamental, relying on emotions to fuel their fires. Matthew bites his lip. He has a sling of water on his back in case of an emergency.

He hears Lovino wake up. He can see smoke rolling out from under the door. He waits half an hour before knocking on the door. He sighs when it doesn't open. He waits. An hour later the door doesn't open so Matthew tries again. The smoke from under the door increases. He's either being annoying or waking Lovino up. He sighs and knocks once more, quieter this time.

"Lovino?" He calls out softly. The smoke stills. He takes a deep breath. That's not entirely a bad thing. Yet.

"It's Matthew, uhm. I was wondering if you wanted to be shown around campus today? Maybe see where your classes are and the-" He jumps back as the door singes. It bursts into flames right before his eyes. Lovino steps out with a scowl. He sneers at Matthew, but looks at him expectantly. Matthew gulps and waves him on. He can feel Lovino's eyes on him as they walk around. He can feel everyone's eyes on them as they walk around. He can also feel the sparks coming from Lovino. He peeks at the boy, glaring at everyone around them.

"It's rude to stare," Matthew says loudly for everyone to hear. The kids are taken aback by the loudness in his voice. Matthew doesn't get loud. They all are jolted back into their own business. Matthew lets a small accomplished smirk cross his face when he doesn't feel sparks anymore. Lovino is still glaring though.

"Here are some of the classrooms where your classes will be, simple stuff, math, history, too many languages here to have a designated class for it," Matthew explains, gesturing to the rooms as they walk through the teen wing. Matthew smiles at Lovino, not letting it falter when he doesn't respond, just looks at him unamused. Matthew continues on. He shows him the work our areas, the pool, the library, and the mess hall. None of it gets a reaction from Lovino. His same bored unimpressed expression on his face.

"These are the training grounds," Matthew says once they're outside. Lovino grimaces, crossing his arms tighter. Matthew almost feels relieved at the show of emotion. He gulps when he realizes the emotion is annoyance and that Lovino is leaving scorch mark footprints on the ground. He guides Lovino to the far off burnt training area.

"This is where you'll be training-" Matthew barely has time to finish his words before a blast of flames is sent his direction. He ducks easily enough, rolling out of the way. Lovino is glaring hard at him. He's shaking with his arm extended. There's smoke fizzling off his clothes.

"I don't fucking need training," Lovino snarls at him. Matthew raises his hands in surrender from the ground. He's in a dangerous position and he wants nothing more than to get out of it.

"I didn't say you did," He says gently. He can't stop the shaking in his voice. He is scared. The water in his pouch will only do so much and the energy required to get water instantly or from the lake would take a lot out of him. He and Lovino are locked in a standstill. Slowly Matthew makes a move to stand up. Lovino cringes and coils his arm back. Matthew freezes. Lovino lets out a noise of frustration and throws his hands at a dummy opposite of Matthew. The metal creaks after so many years of not being used. Matthew scrambles as quietly as he can away from the arena base. He sits on the sidelines as Lovino unleashes rage after rage of fire at the dummies. It's not long before the whole stadium is dancing in fire.

"I don't need training," Lovino says darkly to Matthew now. He's still shaking, but smoke is no longer coming from his clothing. Matthew stands and walks a step closer. When Lovino tenses, he stops.

"I never said you did," He says again. He rubs at the back of his neck. Lovino is still regarding him badly.

"This is your personal ground though," Matthew says with a shrug, no longer smiling. Lovino stiffens. Matthew hurries to explain.

"It's built for fire, so whenever you want, it's yours to come to," He says, looking at Lovino hopefully. The boy sneers and stomps off back towards the main building. Matthew trails after. Just to make sure Lovino makes it back to his room alright. When they get there, the door is still singed away. Lovino simply steps through the embers, and a wall of fire closes the door hole.

Matthew sighs.

He doesn't even bother to remove his clothing when he gets to the pool. He drops in feet first and sinks to the bottom. He lays on his back looking up at the light through the shimmering water's surface. He lets out a bubbled scream. He's not angry, or frustrated. He's worried, and scared. Lovino has the capacity to seriously destroy something. Anything. Everything. This facility is all Matthew has ever known. He worried Lovino will destroy it. And he's worried Lovino will destroy himself in the process. He noticed his posture as he stomped away from the grounds. Hunched and protective of himself. He's just as scared.

He raises an eyebrow when he sees a few figures floating at the surface. No, not at the surface, above it. He sees Francis smiling down at him in the water next, beckoning him to come up. Matthew sighs and does as he's asked. Gilbert, Alfred, and Antonio are suspended above the air, smiling brightly down at him. Alfred is the first to lose his smile, in turn for baffled confusion.

"Dude why are you wearing your clothes in the pool?" Matthew glances down at himself, having completely forgot about his clothing. The other's sputter into laughter. Matthew shrugs and steps out of the pool, willing the water to be left behind. The others drop to the ground next to him to coral him to dinner. He spent nearly four hours under the water. Oops.

He doesn't see Lovino at dinner. He takes a tray to go for him. He comes to the door to find it no longer burning as brightly. There's a dull crackling fire at the base, but the inferno is gone. Matthew knocks on the wall to the side, now standing in the doorway. Lovino snaps his eyes up to him, glares, and the inferno is back full force. Matthew sighs and takes the water from his pack behind him. He swirls it around his arm and the food protectively. He hisses as he sticks his arm through the flames and places the box on the ground. He pulls his arm out sharply. The water had begun to boil around him.

He calms the water and rubs it into his skin to kill the burn. He glances back at the door. He pauses when he sees it's no longer raging like moments before. He smiles softly and continues on his way.


	5. Chapter 5

He tries to be with Lovino on Sunday too. He's only met with a burning doorway, and spit flames spiking out to hit him. He brings food though. The boy needs to eat. He's getting more and more worried. Lovino is isolating himself. Matthew wants to introduce him properly to his friends. Maybe not Alfred. He sighs once again. Their group has grown. Alfred is making quick friends with Feliciano, while Arthur and Ludwig are enjoying each other's company. Ivan likes to watch as Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis compete to see who can act dumber. Matthew wants Lovino to be there. He wants the fire type to have fun. He has yet to see him do anything other than scowl.

Come Monday, Matthew is waiting outside of his door for him to wake up. He's warming his hands on the door when the flames stop. Lovino steps through, a notebook under his hand. Matthew smiles up at him when Lovino glares down at him. The notebook starts to sizzle. Lovino mutters out curses and flaps the book to keep it from completely combusting. He glares at Matthew like it's his fault. Matthew silently shows him to his first room. It's one of the beginner rooms, explanatory things that are usually reserved for younger students, and the new ones. Matthew takes a seat on the countertop at the back. There's a sink full of water next to him. He sticks his fingers in it absent mindedly as Lovino takes a seat in the far back corner away from everybody.

Mr Yao shushes the class when he comes in. He asks the students to introduce themselves to start with. Matthew gets to meet new people. He smiles at the new water type, a small boy by the name of Kiku. There are two people who can both dual wield ice. Matthew wonders if they are any good at skating. He could always use more help when the little ones ask him to help teach them. Gilbert, Antonio, Feliciano, and Ludwig all introduce themselves as well. Mr Yao lands his gaze on Matthew and claps excitedly.

"Matthew how good it is to see you," He says breathlessly. Matthew laughs softly and introduces himself officially to the class. Then all eyes land on Lovino. The teen tenses at the looks on him. He glances around, like an animal backed into a wall. Matthew clears his throat to get the attention of everyone in the room.

"Mr Yao what are you going over today?" He asks so simply. The class blinks at him in confusion to his question. Mr Yao winks and takes the hint. He launches into his lesson. The students are once more sitting on the edge of their seats. The lesson is basic, a bit more in depth than with the younger ages, but simple all the same. Matthew feels the water boil. He glances up at Lovino. The boy is glaring at him, but more of a confused glare. Matthew smiles and shrugs. Lovino scoffs and turns away.

The room gets heated when they start to talk about the reason fire children don't last. Matthew can see them, trying casually to take peeks at Lovino without getting caught. Their attempts are in vain. Lovino notices all of them, though he tries not to, glaring out the window. When someone makes a snide comment about fire children. The windows in the room shatter. Matthew yelps and yanks his hand out of the now boiling water. He blinks his eyes wide with concern at Lovino. He's staring dangerously at the others in the class. Mr Yao regards him professionally.

"Lovino, why did you-"

"Fuck off," the question is cut off by Lovino, sparks crackling out of his mouth as he spits out the words. He stands up and stomps out of the classroom. Matthew follows wordlessly after him. He follows the smoking teen to the little training area he showed Lovino the day before. He waits on the sidelines as Lovino tears the place apart. At the end of his tantrum, he puts all his energy on one metal dummy. He gets in close, eyes blazing. The metal melts. He steps back huffing violently, puffs of smoke leaving his body as he does. He places his hands in his hair and shakes hazardously, ash falls to the ground. He drops too.

Matthew gulps and steps forward, making his steps heard to not startle Lovino much more. The teen snaps around to regard him angrily. Matthew raises his hands in surrender, trying to show he means no harm. He stops a few feet away and lowers himself to the ground. Lovino is blinking wide eyed at him.

"That was pretty cool, the way the glass shattered," Matthew muses casually. Lovino 'tsks' turning away from him to glare at the ground. A small fire erupts. It begins to trace patterns on the ground following where Lovino's eyes lead it. Matthew raises an eyebrow.

"I didn't know you could control your fire without hand motions," He says softly. Lovino grimaces and glances at him annoyed. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

"It hurts my head sometimes," He says gruffly. Matthew smiles besides the tone. Lovino had talked to him. He spoke with words. Matthew taps his toes together.

"Did you hurt yourself?" He asks. He might be pushing his luck, but he wants to help. Lovino snaps his eyes to him then, his angry expression back full force. He stands abruptly and walks away, not before huffing out a bitter, "No."

Matthew watches him leave. He doesn't bother to chase after him. He goes to the mess hall when it gets close to that time. He takes the to go container for Lovino and heads down the hallway towards his room. The flames are going again, softer, like a campfire. Matthew knocks on the wall. Lovino cringes, but the flames do not rise. Matthew pushes down his sense of accomplishment and places the food inside the door like always. He waves with a smile and walks away.


	6. Chapter 6

He follows the fire elemental for the next week. He doesn't mind. He likes it honestly. The teachers don't expect him to pay attention so he spends most his time watching Lovino do nothing or making silly little patterns in the water. Every so often he will speak up and divert attention away from Lovino. It's a similar pattern every time. Someone talks about fire or a teacher calls his name, sometimes it's another student who speaks to him. Lovino starts to twitch and the area around him begins to smoke. Matthew simply calls attention to himself and gets everything back on track. Lovino's smoke goes out.

It's after the last class of the week does Matthew try to be friendly. More so than he has been. He brings Lovino his meals and walks with him to class and even sits in with him. Maybe he's getting annoying. He really hopes not. That would be counter productive. True, at first, the teachers had wanted him to be 'on look out', but now? Matthew is concerned for Lovino's well being. He doesn't talk or have friends. Matthew wants him to be happy. He's positive he would have found a way to meet him anyway. Being there at the right time just helped. Matthew wants Lovino to be his friend.

"What are you going to do now?" He asks once they are walking together out of the classroom. Lovino 'tsks', glaring harder at the ground and not responding. Matthew twists up his nose. He fiddles with the bracelet around his wrist.

"Would you like to eat dinner with me today?" He asks casually like he's done it everyday before. Lovino doesn't respond. Matthew can hear him gritting his teeth. He peeks over his shoulder to see the footprints Lovino is leaving behind him. His hands are smoking. Matthew 'hmms' and counts the lights as they pass by.

"Why the fuck are you following me?" Lovino asks sharply. He regards Matthew with a burning expression. He's walking faster now. Matthew keeps up easily, moving his hands to his pockets.

"I want to know you're okay," He replies simply. This earns him another 'tsk' from Lovino. He feels accomplished though, smiling to himself. This is the most Lovino has spoken to him the past few days combined. Matthew trails after him on his way to the training ground. Lovino's footprints are becoming more and more pronounced. The closer they get to the arena, the more smoke is pouring off him. His legs are sparking when they cross.

"Stop fucking following me!" Lovino snaps. He turns around sharply. His arms sizzle up in flames. Matthew stops his steps, standing a few feet away from the angry fire wielder. He blinks at the absolute frustration on Lovino's face.

"Why don't you talk to anyone?" Matthew asks quietly. His questions takes Lovino by surprise, his flames flickering out before coming back full force and hotter.

"I don't need to talk to anyone," He hisses stepping away and into the arena area. Matthew follows. Lovino is feeding off his emotions and he doesn't want him to hurt himself. He takes his typical seat near the edge and far away from the dummies. Lovino is tossing fireballs at them. Tossing, more like chucking as hard as he can. He takes a deep breath, skips forward and does a front flip. Both of his legs catch fire and jet flames out. Matthew almost applauds. It's a fancy move. Lovino is an acrobat with his flames. He dances with them. Matthew can feel his anger lessen.

Lovino glances over and sees him. The fire around him heightens when he tenses up. Matthew just smiles at him. He really likes seeing Lovino play with fire. It's graceful when he's not horribly pissed off. Which he is right now. Matthew barely has time to duck and cover as a fireball is sent straight for him. He swirls his hands and the water is called to him. It seeps out of the ground and mixes with the emergency water he had on his back. He creates a shield to ward off the fiery missiles Lovino is spiking at him.

"Why the fuck are you here!?" Lovino shouts at him, sending a massive wall of flames his way. Matthew covers himself with water. He can hear sizzling around him, water evaporating with the intense heat Lovino is providing. He dodges out of the way of another attack, sliding his way towards more water. Lovino has a ring of fire around him. He throws his hands out to send it shooting at Matthew.

"I don't want you here!" Lovino shouts again. Matthew steps back and into the dousing pool by the fire arena to put out the fire when it's done being used. Matthew throws up a wall of water to block himself.

"I think you're lying," He yells back to Lovino. He can feel the air around him warm. He didn't mean to make Lovino angrier, too late now. He lowers his water wall to see Lovino almost unseeable through all the fire that is surrounding his body.

"I don't need to talk. I don't need friends. I don't need you!" He yells throwing both his hands at Matthew. He has just enough time to encase himself in a suit of water before the heat comes spiraling at him in a cyclone of red. He runs away from it, keeping his eyes on Lovino. His face is strained and if they fire wasn't so intense, Matthew would say he's crying. The fire is evaporating his tears too quickly to tell.

"Why do you reject people that try to get close to you?" Matthew calls over the roar of the flames. He jumps up and sends a water ball crashing towards Lovino. It soaks his head, making some of the flame die off. He's quickly dried off with the anger now burning in his eyes.

"Like you actually want to be my friend," Lovino scoffs. He crosses his arms, still standing in a pit of fire. Matthew waves his hands and the suit of water falls off to float around him in giant bubbles. He walks closer to Lovino.

"Why don't you think I want to be friends?" He asks softly. Lovino tenses. He glares at the ground, catching random patches of the dirt on fire.

"I heard the teachers. You're just supposed to follow me around. That's bullshit!" Lovino screams. Sparks flicker off his tongue. Matthew jerks when a flame is started right under his foot. He cringes and wraps the limb in water. He blinks sadly up at Lovino. His sadness turns to shock at the fear in Lovino's eyes. He holds tighter to himself and turns away.

"Please just fucking leave me alone. Tell the teachers I'm fine. I don't need help." Lovino tangles his hands in his hair, ashes falling from his fingertips. Matthew takes his water. It weaves through the air and rests on Lovino's shoulder making the smaller boy jump.

"You don't need help, or you're scared to have help?" Matthew steps closer, ignoring the heat that is radiating off of Lovino. He needs the answer to this.

"Do you really think I would have stuck around as long as I did if the teachers put me up to this?" Matthew doesn't hide the annoyance in his tone. He's been trying so hard to get Lovino to open up and talk to him. He wants to be his friend. Lovino freezes at the words being said to him. Matthew sighs and takes a few more steps forward. He replaces the water with his own hand. It's burning him to touch Lovino's body. The heat is incredible.

"Lovino I really want to be your friend," He whispers. Lovino drops to the ground and engulfs himself in a bubble of fire. Matthew yelps and jumps back. He stumbles to the ground. He makes quick work, wrapping his legs in water to cool and heal himself. He looks up to see Lovino staring at him in horror, then anger.

"How could you possibly want to be my friend! I just fucking hurt you!" Lovino screams. The entire arena lights up like a candle. Matthew calls as much water to him to form a protective circle underneath the ground just in case. He doesn't think Lovino will hurt him.

"I can heal," Matthew says with a soft smile. He gestures down to his legs, now less red and not burnt at all. Lovino pushes on the ground away from him.

"Are you scared of hurtin-"

"I fucking hurt everybody!" Lovino cuts him off with a bitter yell. Matthew takes a deep breath. He stands up carefully, trying not to further his injury. He holds out a hand to Lovino, water encasing it. He smiles down at the fire type. Lovino is staring at his outstretched hand like an alien being. When he doesn't move, Matthew steps closer. Lovino shuffles a few feet away from him.

"You won't hurt me," Matthew tells him reassuringly. He smiles gently down at Lovino. He just needs him to calm down so they can walk together. Lovino sniffles and stands up. He doesn't take Matthew's hand, but steps closer to him. Matthew takes the moment to quickly wrap him in a hug. He wraps them both in water. Lovino twitches and struggles in his hold. Smoke is turning the water blacker by the second.

"I want to be your friend Lovino, please let me," Matthew gently pleads to him. He pulls back with a bright smile on his face. Lovino blinks at him. All at once, the floodgates open. Lovino buries his head into Matthew's shoulder and clings to him. Matthew's water circle pops, replaced with a ring of fire. The fire is cold.

He rubs a hand up and down Lovino's back as he cries. He had been strong for so long, holding in his pain and fear of hurting others, he can't hide it anymore. Being angry takes so much out of a person. Matthew guides them to the ground to sit. Lovino lets him go and curls up on himself. He hides his face in his knees.

"I hate myself," He whispers. Matthew scoots closer to him to press their sides together. It's hard to hug someone sitting down, this is enough.

"Why?" Is all Matthew asks. Lovino has enough trouble as it is being one of the few fire types in existence still alive today. He doesn't need more pressure on him by his own doing.

"I hurt everything. Everything is always burnt. I can't do anything," He says harshly. Matthew doesn't respond to that. He doesn't know what to say. He doesn't know if there is anything he can say. He doesn't want to say 'I'm sorry'.

"I don't have friends. I never had friends." Lovino admits, lifting his head up to stare at the opposite side of the arena. Matthew can see the few traces of tears streaks around his eyes. They never reach past his nose with the fire in him drying them before he can.

"You've got me now," Matthew says with a smile. Lovino peeks at him without anger or annoyance. He rests his chin back on to his knees.

"I'm sure my other friends would love to meet you too," He informs the fire type. Truly they would really like Lovino. He and Arthur would probably get along amazingly well. Lovino scoffs.

"I can barely handle one person wanting to be my friend, how am I supposed to handle more?" He snaps. Matthew giggles lightly and shrugs. Lovino huffs, a puff of smoke leaving his mouth.

"I'll be there the whole time to help you of course," Matthew nudges him light heartedly. Lovino groans and rolls his eyes.

"Why do you want to be my friend?" He asks quietly. Matthew hums. He swirls his hand in the air and a few drops of water form before him. He changes them easily into the shape of a whale.

"Because I think you're a decent person under all that smoke," Matthew teases with a smile on his face. Lovino scoffs and pushes him away. Matthew giggles and stands, stretching his limbs as he does so. The whale he made swims around his neck. He holds a hand out to Lovino.

"Come on, there's food to be had," He says with a cheer. Lovino glances at the limb, then the ground, then back up again. He takes it slowly. He and Matthew both shiver.

"You're hot."

"You're cold."

They say at the same time. Matthew erupts into a fit of giggles. Their skin temperature is completely different. For one split second, Matthew gets to see Lovino smirk. They walk in silence to the mess hall. Some of his friends give him odd looks when he takes his food in a to go container. He waves to them in reassurance. He and Lovino walk to his room. Matthew carefully steps over the flames and takes a seat on the floor. Lovino places his food aside and flicks his fingers at the fireplace. It puffs up into a homey little fire.

"I have a small pool in my room," Matthew giggles, digging into his food. Lovino shrugs his shoulders in response. They eat quietly until Matthew feels courageous enough to ask more questions.

"How old are you?" He says, leaning back on his hands, placing his container on his lap. Lovino makes a face of disgust at a misshapen piece of broccoli.

"15," He replies, tossing the broccoli into the fire. It snaps and burns to a charcoal blob.

"17, no wonder you're such an angry person," Matthew teases lightly. Lovino glares at him, but it's not as menacing as before. He pokes a finger at the rest of his food.

"Feliciano is your brother?" He bites a carrot. Lovino nods.

"He's too hyper for me sometimes. I've accidentally burned him before too," He says quietly. Matthew bites his carrot again.

"I almost drowned Alfred once," He smiles up at Lovino on his bed. He's roasting his food to a crisp with his finger. He pauses and gives Matthew a skeptical look.

"He wouldn't shut up so I pulled a wave over him, didn't know I was still making a turbulence underneath the water until Francis told me," Matthew giggles and eats the last bite of his carrot. Lovino snorts.

"I thought you knew everything about your ability," Matthew shakes his head at the comment. Lovino raises an eyebrow at him.

"It takes time to learn. I'm still in training technically," Matthew sticks his tongue out at the now empty container. He's still hungry. Lovino sighs.

"You ready for the test tomorrow?" He asks. Lovino chokes on his food then glares at Matthew.

"What fucking test?" He spits out. Matthew giggles softly.

"Every two weeks or so they test our abilities with our element. You can come watch me while I do mine, I'll come to yours," he says excitedly. Lovino grimaces, folding his legs up to his stomach. Taking the test isn't that bad. It's just tedious. Lovino huffs outs black smoke and stands. The fire of the door is growing higher. Matthew inches away from it, not wanting to get burned. Lovino throws something at him. Matthew giggles when he sees it's a marshmallow. Lovino snaps his fingers, a little fire sitting on the top of his finger. He roasts a marshmallow before shoving it into his face. The heated fires lower.

"What's your test like?" Lovino asks, lighting up another gooey treat. Matthew bites into his marshmallow before answering.

"How long we can hold our breath, how long we can hold up water, how much control we have, how much water, stuff like that," He stuffs his face full of gooeyness. Lovino nods in understanding.

"What do the fire kids do?"

"I don't know," Matthew tells him with a shrug. Lovino glares at him and throws another marshmallow at him. This one is already slightly toasted.

"I've never met a fire kind before," Matthew smiles up at him. Lovino huffs and goes back to his own dessert. When Matthew feels the conversation has died out, he makes his exit with a bright smile to his new friend. Lovino waves back to him.


	7. Chapter 7

Matthew stretches his limbs in his room. Today is going to be hectic. The whole time will be spent on testing. Matthew had specifically requested for his test be over sooner so he could be there for moral support for Lovino. Mr Yao had been thrilled at the idea. He skips out of his room to find Lovino already outside of his room leaning against the wall. Matthew has a plain white t-shirt on and his swim shorts. He waves Lovino on to follow him. They walk quietly next to each other on the way down to the lake. There are other students there, most in swimsuits. It's a little early in the morning, so most kids that don't have to test yet are sleeping.

Matthew takes off his shirt and hands it to Lovino to hold while he does his test. The fire type scoffs and takes the shirt with an angry snatch. Matthew giggles and steps to the edge of the water like everyone else. The first test is how much water they can hold. One by one they go down the line. On the other side of the river he can see another group of testers. When Matthew's turn is up, he waves his hands over the water, making it ripple and flow to his command. He shoots his arms up and a wall of water towers over him. He swirls his hands around more, gathering more and more water into a giant sphere above the lake. His breathing becomes heavier as the ball gets larger and larger.

He holds the massive ball of water for three seconds before tossing it out making the biggest splash. A wave comes at the students but Matthew pushes it back to even out the lake once more. He stumbles back, but catches himself. He smiles brightly at his hands. Next is control. He waves Lovino over to a set of tubes. Each student is to direct a certain amount of water through the tubes without letting it touch the sides. Once again, when it's Matthew's turn, he gets the largest amount of water to handle. He thins it out, feeding it quickly through the tube. It takes concentration to make sure every piece of the water is not touching the edges. He could have done a thick stream, but that is more water to control in a small space. There's a small buzzer when the last drop is accounted for on the other end. He takes a break to run back to Lovino.

"I don't know how you're doing," Lovino tells him honestly with a small shrug of his shoulders. Matthew laughs and shakes his hair. There's no water in the locks, but he does it anyway. His hair is getting more green.

"What's left to do?" Lovino flicks a fire pebble up and down on his fingers. Matthew hums.

"How long we can hold up water and how long we can hold our breath. You don't have to stay for how long we can hold our breath, that takes forever," Matthew sticks his tongue out. He can spend four hours under the water easily. God know how long he'll be able to go this time around. Lovino cringes at the idea of waiting. Matthew waves to him when he's called back to the water. He steps in with the other water children. They face the beach line. In front of them is a set amount of water, all the same. On the whistle they swirl and get ready to hold up their water bubbles. On the next whistle, they raises their arms and every bubble is up.

Matthew concentrates on his water sphere, he doesn't bother to make it perfect like some of the others do. That takes more energy. He lets the bubble stay just a little choppy. He swirls his arms back and forth along with the rest of his body as if in a daze. He hears the tell tale of a splash when someone's bubble goes down. He ignores the others and keeps his bubble going. Soon it's just him, Kiku, and Francis. Kiku goes out next, almost slipping into the water as his bubble drops. Yao catches him with a soft breeze and helps him back to shore, but still keeping his feet in the water. Matthew smiles over at Francis. The French teen throws him a cocky smirk. Now they wait.

It's another half hour until Francis's bubble drops. It's another hour after that does Matthew feels his arms weakening. His bubble is becoming harder to manage. He almost loses form twice before his bubble bursts and crashes down to the earth. He sighs and drops to his knees, water swirls around him, trying to make him feel better. Some students crowd around him to congratulate and admire his skill. He slinks past them to Lovino, still looking bored about the whole ordeal.

"My arms hurt," Matthew whines playfully. Lovino sighs and hands him back his shirt. Matthew laughs.

"You can go inside now. It's the holding breath thing," He says walking off. Plenty of other students already have. Lovino shrugs and just watches Matthew as he heads back into the water. He drops his shirt near the shore, knowing it will be dry when he gets back to it. The students swim into the water and wait for the soft whistle. When it comes, they sink. The first part of the breath challenge is seeing how far they can go. Matthew kicks lower and lower until he touches the bottom then drifts back up. A water teacher winks at him and swims past to write down the information. Matthew floats over to Francis, who is leaning back with his hands behind his hand in the water. Matthew rests next to him, and waits.

Every water student in the school can last thirty minutes underwater easy. After that it gets difficult. Matthew rolls his eyes as Francis sarcastically waves to those who are paddling for the surface. A water teachers yells out that it's been about two hours. They have a long way to go. The worst part about this is the waiting. There is nothing to really do. They could swim, but that would take up their air. All they can do is sit and wait for their lungs to cry for mercy. At the four hour mark, Francis bids Matthew goodbye and shoots for the surface. Matthew can barely hear him talking above the water. He is tempted to sigh.

He makes faces at the fishes. He watches as they dance by. He makes patterns out of the dust specks floating through the water. He breaks his rule of not moving to help a fish get untangled by a small net at the bottom. He's almost surprised when his lungs start to hurt. He looks down at his chest and pokes it to make sure. He leisurely kicks to the surface. He comes up with a small gasp for air. A few students that say 'ohh'. The teacher testing him, shakes her head with a disbelieving smile. Nine hours and 48 minutes. Matthew laughs and takes a seat next to Lovino on the beach. He takes the small container of food given to him graciously.

"I thought you died," Lovino says plainly. Matthew shrugs, munching heartily on the sandwich. He wonders if Lovino had the idea to make it tuna on purpose.

"They thought that the first time I stayed as long as I could to. I used to come up a few minutes after the last person, but one day I decided to really see, took me about three hours to surface," Matthew giggles between bites of his food. Lovino snorts and rests his head back on his knees. Yao comes over with another teacher after their few minutes of silence.

"Now that Matthew is done, Mr Vargas, it's your turn," Mr Yao smiles down at him. Lovino cringes but stands when Matthew does. Lovino is fidgeting on their walk to the arena. Matthew places a hand on his arm, giving him a bright smile. Lovino huffs. Matthew takes a seat on the edge of the arena, next to Feliciano who is bouncing in his seat.

"Go Lovi go go go!" He cheers out. Matthew giggles and wraps a strip of water around his mouth. He places a finger to his lips when Feliciano gives him a startled look. The air type giggles and goes back to watching his brother.

"How much fire can you produce?" Mr Yao asks. Lovino sighs and backs away. Yao does too, so does the other teacher. Matthew recognizes her as the one to run the water test he took, Ms Xiao Mei. He likes her a lot. She's probably here for accident protection. Lovino swings his arms at his sides, smoke starts to spiral around him. He raises his hands and swirls them quickly in the air, a buzz of fire erupting between them. Feliciano bounces in his seat next to Matthew, clapping his hands childishly.

Lovino keeps swirling his hands, swaying his body as well. The ball of fire keeps growing. His body is starting to feel the effects. He removes the bind around Feliciano's mouth before it starts to boil. Lovino is gritting his teeth now, trying to get the undersized sun in control. Matthew bites his lip. Any bigger and it will come in contact with the trees surrounding the arena. Forest fires call for some nasty attention that Matthew knows Lovino will not want.

Lovino struggles, his arms shaking. His fire is at least as big as a large moving van. He huffs and lowers his arms, almost falling himself. The fire disappears in a whirlwind of smoke. Lovino falls to his knees, bracing himself on all fours. Matthew stand up to go to him immediately. He kneels down with a small bit of water nestled in his palm. Lovino is burning up. Matthew spreads the water thin and places it on the back of his neck. Lovino hisses and stands. Matthew skips over to his spot once more. Mr Yao gives him a thankful look.

Ms Xiao places specific markers on the ground, around 30 of them, all in the shape of a candle, a plethora of colors. Mr Yao gives the word and they light up with a wave of Lovino's hand. One by one he is instructed to find specific candle set and either light them up or extinguish them. He is lighting all the blue candles when Matthew hears a loud noise from behind him. He nearly falls out of his seat when Antonio comes crashing through the trees on a ball of air.

"AH Feli!" He says cuddling the other air type to him. Feliciano giggles and hugs him back. Matthew doesn't miss the way every single candle lights up with a bright flame. Lovino glares at the ground, spreading his arms wide to focus on the field. The distraction doesn't end there. Alfred comes next with Gilbert right behind. They both crash onto Matthew only to be pulled away when Francis pulls at their ears. Matthew does his best to shush them when he feels the fire grow hot against his skin. He goes back to watching Lovino with a worried expression when Arthur sits next to him.

"Whoa! Lovi is so good!" Antonio muses, his eyes sparkling. The comment doesn't go unheard. Lovino twitches. The flame he is concentrating on sparks high. He grits his teeth, calming down the flame to a calmer height.

"Pfft I could do that!" Gilbert counters, smirking like the world belongs to him. He throws an arm over Matthew's shoulder. Matthew cringes and casually tries to shake it off. He doesn't want to have people mess up Lovino's test.

"Nu uh! Lovi is the best!" Feliciano says with a pout. He stands and points a finger at Gilbert accusingly. Matthew bites his lip, slowly calling the water to him from beneath the ground. Lovino is scowling like a mad man. He hasn't responded to Yao's new direction. Smoke is peeling off him harder now. Matthew tells the people around him to shush one last time.

"Aw Mattie calm down," Alfred says sticking his tongue out maturely. Matthew turns a rare glare his way. He doesn't want Lovino's test to be messed up. The air is getting hotter around him. Lovino is breathing heavily, sparks are dancing off his tongue.

"Is it hot or is it just me?" Gilbert says with a disgusted expression. He snickers and a wave of cold wind flows through the air. Lovino is the first to react, his body alighting with flames. The arena bursts like a bomb. It's all on fire. He's sending a murderous look Gilbert's way. Matthew calls the water up to block the fire zig zagging it's way right to them. Francis helps, hiding him and the other's behind a wall. Matthew skirts around the attack easily. He approaches Lovino slowly.

"Hey it's okay," He says quietly. Lovino is grinding his teeth together. He's glancing between Matthew, the water bubble that is slowly evaporating, and the teachers. He's twisting in spot, encouraging more flames to spiral around him. Matthew lifts his hands in surrender, still stepping forward.

"They wouldn't shut the fuck up," Lovino says bitterly. He wipes hazardously at his face, removing tears that aren't there, they are evaporating too fast. Matthew is getting closer, the heat is more intense now that he's standing so close to the fire type. He reaches out a hand, ignores the burn, to place it on Lovino's shoulder. Slowly, agonizingly, the fires start to lessen. Lovino runs a hand through his hair, making ash fall to the ground. Matthew wraps his arms around the younger boy. Lovino stands still, letting Matthew hug him.

The water wall drops once the flames are nearly extinguished, though it means nothing. Lovino would be able to relight them in an instant if he wished. Lovino wiggles his way around Matthew and stalks off. Matthew watches him leave for a moment until his body becomes nothing more than a speck. He hears Alfred whistle lowly. He snaps his head to the small crowd. Arthur takes a knowing scoot away from them. Matthew grits his teeth and raises his arms in the air quickly. A ring of water shoots up out of the ground and lassos around the air types, except for Feliciano. Francis holds him back when Matthew pulls the others closer. Alfred and Antonio are struggling against the water bind while Gilbert looks paler than normal.

"YOU IDIOTS." Matthew screams at them, his blonde hair flipping into his face. The air types stop struggling, their mouths hanging open in shock. The water ring tightens around them. Matthew takes slow steps to them.

"What were you thinking?" He snarls. He's never been this upset with someone before. At least not that he can remember. This ruined Lovino's chance to do something good in the school and prove he could do something. He's furious. The air types gulp simultaneously.

"How could you do this to him?!" Matthew shouts in their faces. He grits his teeth. His body is shaking, but his hold on his water ring is strong. He wipes away a tear coming down his face, though it quickly turns to a waterfall. A curse of water loving you, it never ends. He ends up spending a full minute trying to get his eyes clear.

"I never thought any of you could be so cruel as to ruin.." Matthew doesn't finish his sentence. Mr Yao places a hand on his shoulder. Matthew sends one last glare at the air types then drops them harshly. They flounder on the ground, scrambling away from him. Matthew pulls out of the teacher's grip, jogging off in the direction Lovino left. His breathing is ragged. His steps are heavy beneath him. Water is trailing behind him in droplets. They scatter around him searching for Lovino's heat signature. They form a thin trail. When he passes by it circles around him spiraling tightly around his arms in a strange a tattoo.

He skids to a stop when he spots Lovino sitting by himself on a secluded part of the shore. He gulps and approaches slowly. Lovino doesn't look at him when he sits down. There are ash streaks running down his face like a twisted sort of makeup. Matthew copies his position, pulling his legs up tight and wrapping his arms around them. Only difference is water is running over his skin, in a vain attempt to calm him down. Matthew opens and closes his mouth, trying to find the right words to say.

"Don't worry about it Matthew," Lovino beats him to it. The fire type sighs, rubbing his face half heartedly on his sleeve, dirtying it. Matthew grits his teeth.

"They shouldn't have done that," Matthew hisses out. He's never been this freaked out over something. He wipes the tears from his face once more. The steady stream hindering his vision more than he would have liked. He tries his hardest to clear his eyes without bringing too much attention to it. It's hard to when his face is basically one big puddle. Lovino sighs and scoots closer to him so their sides are touching. Matthew jerks at the sudden heat. He relaxes and hides his head in his arms.

"You're more emotional about this than I am," Lovino says plainly. Matthew manages to scoff and raise his head. Lovino glances at him, then a small smile crosses his features. Matthew laughs lightly. The two sit in silence, enjoying the feel of the other in the most innocent of senses.

"I did pretty well I think," Lovino says suddenly, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration. Matthew gives him a confused look.

"Holding in my anger for as long as I did," Lovino snorts and shakes his head. Matthew rolls his eyes with a smile. The amount of time Lovino managed to not completely blow up took longer than it would have in the beginning. Matthew sighs and leans back some, stretching out his legs. The water around him trickles down and into the ground. It's quiet between them before the sound of footsteps is heard behind them. The turn around to see Gilbert there rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, not making eye contact with them.

"I uh.." He starts. He peeks up, his shame becoming more and more apparent. Antonio and Alfred come creeping up behind him, equal amounts of self disappointment in their expression.

"I didn't mean to, mess up your test. It was stupid of me. I'm uh. Yeah. Sorry," Gilbert manages to say, rubbing at his arm. He looks to Lovino through the hair in his face. The two behind him nod their heads in agreement to his sentiment. Matthew glances at Lovino who in turn glances at him. They both stand. Lovino takes a step forward.

"You're a prick," Is what he says. Gilbert lets out a breathy laugh, nodding his head to accept the name calling.

"I don't.. Entirely forgive you, but.. It's... don't do it again." Lovino says, holding his arms around him. Gilbert perks up, a small smile twitching it's way onto his face. Lovino doesn't smile back, but he's not glaring, so it's better than it could be. Matthew places a hand on Lovino's shoulder in encouragement. The fire type grimaces and takes a deep breath.

"I'm Lovino," He says professionally. Gilbert's reckless smile is back on his face. He holds out his hand for Lovino to shake.

"Gilbert," He says happily. He shakes the fire types hand rigorously, making Lovino cringe. Antonio pushes Gilbert out of the way to take Lovino's hand next.

"I'm Antonio!" He cheers for himself. Smiling like he put the sun in the sky today. Lovino rolls his eyes, letting his arm be shaken. Antonio lets him go willingly when Alfred comes forward.

"I'm Alfred!" He shouts, hugging the fire type instead of accepting the handshake. Lovino tenses up but doesn't puff up in a fit of smoke. He pats Alfred's back awkwardly. Matthew smiles softly.

"Hey does this mean you're gunna start sitting with us for meals?" Alfred is bouncing in his spot, a small breeze with the smell of sweet summer flowers rushes through the air. Lovino shivers.

"I never said that," He spits out, a soft glare returning to his face. Alfred pouts and the air dies out. Gilbert and Antonio start to beg, clasping their hands together and drawing out their pleases. Matthew rolls his eyes.

"We'd love to have you sit with us," He says with a shrug of his shoulders. Lovino gives him a mock betrayed expression. Matthew smiles at him and links their arms together. Lovino huffs but lets himself be dragged to the mess hall. The air types are floating next to them, talking excitedly now about how cool it will be to have Lovino sit with them. He is introduced to Francis next, seeing as he's waiting outside. He meets Arthur and Ivan at the table. Lovino is a little put off by Ivan's smile, but he and Arthur are at least on the same page about everyone being stupid. Mr Yao comes over later to tell him that his test will be kept as is, and he did very well, making the fire type give the faintest of smiles.


	8. Chapter 8

There's something wrong in Mr Yao's class. Matthew can tell when he takes the first step inside the room. The normal excitable and floating teacher is grounded, his arm shaking as he makes squeaky marks on the whiteboard. The students know it too. Their little faces twisted up into confusion and concern. Matthew bites his lip and quietly digs through a drawer in the back, trying to find the small plastic practice ball. He lets out a sigh of relief when he finds a few. He catches Mr Yao's attention in the middle of his lackluster lecture.

"Hey kids, instead of listening to Mr Yao drag on, we're going to play a game," Matthew says with a bright smile on his face. The kids turn to him, forgetting why their teacher isn't hanging upside down like he normally is. Matthew explains the game and the kids are slowly getting more and more excited to practice their abilities. One by one they fill the little plastic ball with their element. They pry the plastic off and are left with a little floating ball, a little bigger than a baseball. The game is to walk around the room, keeping their elemental ball as compact and together as possible. The children line up, giggling to themselves with their element in front of them, sticking their tongue out in concentration as they laugh around the room. Matthew slides up next to the teacher's desk in the children's distraction.

"What's going on?" He whispers. Mr Yao slumps against the board, running a hand through his long black hair.

"It's as we feared Matthew," He says with a strained smile when one of the kids shows him their clump of floating sand.

"What do you mean?" Matthew mouths out good job and gives a thumbs up to a shy girl showing him her floating ball of water, she giggles and continues on her walking.

"They're stealing children," Yao whispers, deathly quiet. Matthew clenches his jaw tight. Yao masks his sorrow with a sigh.

"The reason this new batch of kids was so late, we were trying to protect them from smugglers. They are getting more restless. Kids on our radar are missing," He blinks away the tears forming in his eyes. Matthew takes a few calming breathes, running his fingers over his water bracelet. If he starts to cry now, it will be a waterfall and that will only cause the others to worry too. Matthew manages to get the kids to work together while Yao collects himself. They mix all the elements together in the air forming one large ring. Together, they all move it in a circle.

When the class is dismissed, Matthew hangs back to talk to Yao more. The teacher is heartbroken. These children could need their help, and they are out there, not getting it.

"There's plans being made," Yao says with his head in his hands. Matthew plays with his bracelet. He takes a deep breath.

"What are you planning?" he asks softly. Yao shakes his head but raises it to face Matthew. His expression is sad, ashamed.

"Sending out the older kids undercover," Yao says gently. His smile is sad, he wipes away more tears. Matthew takes a step back shaking his head at the words. He leaves the classroom without turning back. He runs down the hallway to where the older kids are. Where he is supposed to be. He flat out crashes into Ivan, burying his head into the other boy's chest. Ivan asks no questions, holding him tightly. Matthew doesn't cry, thank goodness, he really wouldn't like to soak Ivan at this very moment. He shakes however and keeps his eyes shut tight. Sending out the older kids undercover. They don't know what they are supposed to be doing.

"Matthew?" He hides his face more when he hears Arthur's voice. He feels a hand placed on his shoulder peeking through Ivan's embrace. He inhales sharply when he feels another hand on his other shoulder, this one extremely hot. He prys himself out of Ivan's arm to face Lovino and Arthur. Ivan doesn't let him go, simply wrapping his arms around Matthew's shoulder to hold him to his chest. Matthew doesn't mind.

"Matthew what happened?" Lovino growls out. There's a bit of smoke rolling off his arms, a testament to his anger. Matthew shakes his head, trying to wave off the anger. There is really nothing to be angry about. Not yet.

"It's nothing, I just got a little freaked out is all," He smiles, trying to cover up his discomfort. Arthur and Lovino exchange a disbelieving glance but say nothing. Nothing that is, until they are all called to an out of the way room. There are other students there. Alfred comes over to him as soon as he spots Matthew, asking questions Matthew doesn't know the answers too. He wish he did.

"Students," Miss Elizabeta's voice cracks when she says the word. Her face is tired, bags are under her eyes and her smile isn't as full as it usually is. Matthew closes his eyes and reaches out to hold Ivan's hand for comfort. Knowingly, Ivan squeezes it, not excited for the news if it makes Matthew uneasy.

"Recently, there has been a band of smugglers, kidnapping other elementals," Her words are drowned out by a collective of whispering and gasps. Matthew nods to Arthur and Lovino when the two gives him wide eyed stares. This is exactly why he acted the way he had just an hour ago. Miss Elizabeta shushes them with a soft lull of wind.

"Students please. We are trying to fix this, but we need your help," she says, every word getting softer and softer than the last. Saying it like that would definitely make the students interested.

"The faculty and staff here, would like to send you undercover, to see where the missing children are being taken," she can barely get through her sentence before a few angry and disbelieving shouts are heard. She closes her eyes and clenches her jaw tight. Nobody wants this. Is there another way? Lovino is making a mess, a steady stream of smoke coming off his body, making those around him back off except Arthur who is balling his hands up into fists right next to the fire type unafraid.

"I'll go," Matthew says loudly over the voices of his classmates. They all stop to stare at him, new whispers breaking out. He lets go of Ivan's hand to step forward. He wipes away the possible tears. He's scared. He doesn't want to leave the safety of his home. There are kids out there who need help. They are even more scared than him.

"I'll go," He repeats once he's standing right before Miss Elizabeta. She musters up a small smile for him. This has to be a last resort.

"Me too!" Alfred yells, peeking above the crowd on a pillar of air. One by one, kids start agreeing. Miss Elizabeta looks relieved, letting out a sigh and placing a hand over her chest. They are lead down to a special hall where they are further introduced to their task. Pretend to be alone. Pretend to be scared. Pretend to not know how to use their powers. Get taken. Breakout. Go home. They are split into pairs. Since the faculty has managed to narrow it down to a country in Europe they will send kids there first. Matthew stands right by Francis as the rest of the mission is laid out before them. They don't know who they're looking for. They don't know who has been taken. This is a whim of a move.


	9. Chapter 9

Matthew sits right besides Francis, leaning their heads together on the train running through France. They left their home nearly three weeks ago. He and Francis have been running, trying and failing to find someone to give them shelter, or take them to where the others are being held. Today, Sunday, they are to report back on safe lines and get in contact with each other. Alfred and Arthur are in the U.K. Lovino and his brother returned to Italy. Antonio and another student went to Spain. Ivan went by himself to the cold tundra of Russia. Gilbert and Ludwig went to Germany. They will spread out and pass through a few other countries on their way to try and get caught.

"Matthieu, j'ai faim," Francis mutters out. Matthew cringes. They don't have much money left. They will get some by the end of the day, but the scrapping for food is a part of the 'homeless' vibe they are supposed to be portraying. Matthew closes his eyes. He's tired. He can't fall asleep. Not when he's too aware of what he is doing and who he is supposed to be luring in. He opens his eyes with a sigh. He glances around the train. There are a few people on, but not many. Most listening to music and ignoring everyone else. Two men and a woman are in the corner whispering to themselves, pointing at Matthew and Francis together.

Matthew squeezes Francis's hand tight in his. Francis doesn't move but tenses. Matthew nods his head quickly over in the direction of the three talking about them. Francis grips his hand in understanding. The bus stops and they do not move, some get on, some get off. They are on their way to where they need to call the facility. The people have stopped pointing but are still giving them odd looks. Matthew is paranoid. They could be friendly, but his deep fear of actually being taken against his will is making him jump to conclusions. Another stop, they don't move. Matthew is trying to keep his breathing controlled, he can tell Francis is trying to do the same. It's not everyday you're stared down by three complete strangers like you're a sack of meat.

Their stop comes and without a word they scamper off the train, holding hands tight together. When they've been speed walking for a few minutes does Matthew take the chance to peek over his shoulder to see no one following them. He breathes a sigh of relief and slows down. Francis lets go of his own breath. They give each other small, fake smiles. They make their way through the busy train station, weaving through people to get to a singular payphone in the back of the room. They shake out just enough to get a call home.

Francis speaks in rapid French, knowing the language better, to the person on the other line. He tells where they are and what they know and how they haven't been taken. They get a quick message back of where to go next to not only receive money for the week, but where to explore next. There's a quick message from the others, all saying the exact same thing, 'safe'. Francis hangs up the phone. They look at the money between them. It's barely enough to get them there. They have a lot of walking ahead of them. Taking nervous looks all around them, they hold hands once more and continue on their way. They manage to sneak onto a train for a quick free ride. Matthew doesn't know how they did it, but they did.

The new city they're in is big. Compared to the little town he's used to, everything is big to Matthew. It's part of his excuse for looking around everywhere, besides the obvious paranoia. Francis plays tour guide, showing him around just a little, but spending no money. Matthew wishes they could have gone under better circumstances. He's dirty and wants nothing more than to take a shower and eat a hot meal. He peeks around and sees something that makes his heart drop.

He squeezes Francis hand. The French teen looks around casually, his smiling becoming strained when he sees the same two men and woman following right behind them. Maybe it's coincidence Matthew thinks. Panic is rising in him. What if they are being followed. That would be good right? But what if it's the wrong people? Nothing helps kill the fear inside him. Francis is no better. They pass by a fountain and the water trails after them, sloshing out of the fountain in a wave. Matthew squeaks, turning around to see the mess they made and comes face to face with one of the men giving him a lopsided twisted smile. Mission or not, he's afraid. He kicks it into high gear and Francis has no problems running. The week before they left had been nothing but running and training to get them prepared for this kind of ordeal.

They turn a few corners, listening as best they can for footsteps after them. Matthew's breathing comes quicker when he hears them trailing. Francis is gripping his hand so hard it might break. He doesn't think about the pain in his feet from walking or the burn in his chest from not having enough air or the twist in his stomach from not having a proper meal. All that matters is the fright he feels and the anticipation of being caught. He knows they have to, but that doesn't mean he has to like it. He closes his eyes tight when Francis leads them, knowingly, down a dead end.

They slow to a stop in front of the edge of the alleyway. Matthew can feel the water from his backpack sloshing around in his jitters. He spins around to face the people following them. Their smiles strained and psychotic. Matthew is vaguely aware of them saying something, their names probably, reassurances that they mean no harm, but the knife one of them pulls out shows the exact opposite. Matthew gulps and the water behind him seeps over the top and into his hands like a whip. The others notice and their smiles widen. Francis clings to his other arm, pretending to be useless, though, with his shock, he may just very well be useless. Matthew takes a deep breath and whips them quick as lightning.

It hits one of the men and he hisses, dropping the shard of metal in his hand to cling to his torn shoulder. Matthew backs up a step more. They are glaring now. The water wraps around his wrists and his arms. Some of the water circles around Francis like a demented orbit. Their captors grit their teeth. A blinding wind sweeps through the alley making Matthew unable to see through his scared tears. Francis is whimpering beside him. There are hands on him. He screams only to have it muffled by a hand. He kicks and thrashes making his water whip around him. The one holding him is grunting at the cuts being done to his body. Francis is in no better of a position. The air is ripped from him. Matthew is struggling to breathe. There is no air. It's gone. He claws at nothing. His vision goes spotty. He can barely hear Francis's stifled cries as he blacks out.


	10. Chapter 10

Coughing is what shakes him into consciousness. His body is gasping and struggling for air. He sits up and regrets the decision. His head is swirling. He lays back down just to kill the dizziness. He closes his eyes and tries not to throw up. He controls his breathing first, thankful he has air to breath. He opens his eyes from the ground. The walls are dingy dark grey. The floor beneath him is tile. There is nothing in the room but him. He sits up again, slower this time, using the wall for support. He glances down at his body. His shirt is gone, and so is his pack of water, and his shoes. He grimaces and pulls his legs closer, trying to warm up his toes.

He sighs sadly when he looks at his hands. They are encased in metal like demented gloves. They are wielded together, connected to chains above him. He pushes up to stand. His legs disagree with him, but he makes them obey. He walks a few steps forward, making it halfway across the room before the chains restrict him from doing so. His mind is going into overload. He has no idea where he is. He has no idea where Francis is. He has no idea where anything is. He doesn't know what day it is. He's cold, which is almost an oddity for him. He staggers back to the wall, a few tears slip down his face. He can't wiggle his fingers to collect the water, so they just fall, making him cry more. He shakes his head. He can't cry now. Later he can all he wants, but now, he needs to find a way out of-

The door opens and the girl that chased him before enters. Matthew presses himself as far away as he can. Another man enters the room in a clean pressed suit. He smiles brightly to Matthew.

"Welcome," he says cheerfully. The girl next him snickers. Matthew gulps and tries his voice.

"Where's my friend?" He croaks out. He swallows again, trying to get his voice less dry. The man chuckles heartily.

"Your friend is safe," he says with a sinister smile. Doubt it, Matthew thinks to himself. Francis is probably in the same situation as him. Cold, alone, and surely frightened. Matthew inhales sharply when the man steps closer to him.

"Many of the elementals that show here are air types, to find two water, this is exciting," The man says happily, reaching out a hand. Matthew dodges it, nearly tripping over his chains to get away. The man gives another hearty laugh.

"Come now, don't be shy," he grins and a gust of air holds Matthew still. The man comes forward and drag a finger under his chin to lift his head. Matthew spits at him with what little he can spare. His actions cause him to be slapped and dropped to the ground in a heap. The man glowers at him, and kicks him hard in the chest for good measure.

"You will behave for me. I need you," the man says with a sneer and exits with the girl right behind him. The door is slammed shut. Matthew grits his teeth and slams his metal hands on the ground. He takes a few calming breaths. There's not an immediate way to get out of this situation. He will have to wait. He tries to hold himself as best he can with his restrictions. He's on edge, he can't calm down. The door opens again and he jerks harshly. A young girl enters the room. Her hair is short and cut close to her head. She comes over and kneels down next to him with a sympathetic smile.

"My name is Kat," She says. Matthew doesn't say anything. She smiles and shows him the tray in her hands. Food. He's almost glad to be captured. She helps him eat, putting cuts of meat and potatoes in his mouth for him since his hands are indisposed. Only when his food is finished does he talk.

"Matthew." He tells her. She smiles brightly at him and wipes his face for any crumbs. He feels like a child.

"It's not so bad here," she tells him. He flinches away from her. She sighs.

"I want to go home," He tells her. She smiles sadly and shakes her head in disbelief.

"You control water right?" She changes the subject. Matthew stays quiet, judging her actions. Her smiles falters.

"Yeah, you?" He manages to force out, hoping she won't leave. He needs a little human contact right now.

"Clouds," she says with a bashful smile. It makes Matthew smile too. She picks up the tray and waves to him before leaving. The door clicks shut. He wonders if it's even locked. It wouldn't matter, his hands are currently occupied. He clunks his head against the wall, and waits.

Maybe an hour passes, maybe more. He can't tell. He's almost relieved when the door opens again to reveal a person. It's not Kat. It's the one that tracked him down. She forces him to the sky. His chains unlock from the metal gloves. He's pulled along. He tries his hardest to remember where his room is. Rooms line the walls, each one holding a different child. He can see them, but he can't tell how old they are. He's pulled through the air to a small pool and wonders if these people are stupid. The water is turbulent to his emotions. He's dropped to the ground right next to Francis.

They give each other and awkward hug, clinging to each other with their hands encased in metal. Francis's hair is matted down, clinging to his head with the grim of the week. His shirt is gone as well, left only in his pants like Matthew. He doesn't bother to hide the small tears rolling down his cheeks on to Matthew's shoulder.

"Now to test you," say the man in the pressed suit from before. Matthew glares at him, not dignifying him with a response. He doesn't deserve It. The man laughs and kicks him into the pool. Instinct kicks in and he and Francis sink to the bottom, letting the water protect them. He can see the people up top watching. He can vaguely recognize one of them with stopwatch. They are testing them. Matthew wishes he could have gotten a decent amount of air first. He and Francis hold their metal hands together for some semblance of comfort. The water is warming his body, caressing it and making it feel better. It's healing his skin.

Francis is dying to go up after three hours. Matthew wants to stay hidden, but he will not let Francis go by himself. They slowly let the water pull them upwards. They break with a gasp each, feigning breathless. The others above them smile, impressed. Matthew kicks away from them when they try to pull him out. He sends a small whip of water up to hit one of them in the face. It makes the suit man laugh until Matthew hits him next. He growls and a gust of air pulls him out of the water, making him cold once more. He's dropped to his knees in front the man. He glares up.

"You are a naughty bird." The man growls, a thin line of blood dripping down his cheek from where Matthew cut him. The air is slowly leaving his headspace. Matthew slows his breathing, trying to fight for air and keep his glare at the slowly darkening smile on the man's face. Francis is crying out when Matthew starts to waver back and forth. His head hurts, like it might explode. His vision goes spotty once more.


	11. Chapter 11

He can barely open his eyes upon gaining consciousness for the second time. Kat is already sitting next to him with her legs folded neatly underneath her. She places a cold rag on his forehead. He groans.

"That was a very bold thing you did," She says softly. Matthew struggles to sit up. Kat helps him lean against the wall. He pulls his legs close, begging for warmth. She sighs and hands him a small portion of food. His mouth is weak but he chews. He needs energy.

"I'm going to leave this place," he says, just as quietly. Kat laughs lightly, giving him a soft smile. A smile that fades when she sees the seriousness on his face.

"Matthew, you can't do that, it's impossible," She hisses though her tone is not malicious. He shakes his head and accepts another bite of food.

"I'm going to get out of here and take you with me to a safe space," He says. She stares wide at him and folds her hands in her lap. She takes a few deep breaths.

"I would like that," She whispers. Matthew nods his head affirmatively.

"What day is it?" He asks. She glances up at the ceiling, then to him, giving him another forkful.

"Tuesday." He chews slowly. Optional check in day is Thursday, mandatory check in day is Sunday. They would know something is wrong by then, and have the place narrowed down too. Next week, they should expect a flurry of elementals. Probably. He sighs and lets Kat baby him. He can't do much else with his hands indisposed and Francis who knows where. So again, he waits.

Every day after the first is filled with same, doing some silly task both he and Francis pretend to fail at, yet still managing to get pleasing results. Their hands are released, only at the threat of the other dying if there is rebelling. Matthew wouldn't risk Francis in anyway, so he does what he's told when they bring him to the pool. He raises his hands and collects the water, not nearly using enough energy it takes to lift the water, and not nearly straining himself to lift as much as he can. He grits his teeth anyway, and makes his arms shake to give it the appearance the small car sized blob is all he can handle. He drops to the ground dramatically when he decides to let it go. His arms are clasped in metal once again as Francis is hoisted up to take his turn. Matthew can feel the air swirling around his head, threatening to cut off his air supply at a moments notice. Francis fakes his abilities as well.

Kat feeds him every day, explaining that Francis is down the hall, and she feeds him too. Matthew doesn't ask her to deliver messages. There is no need for that. Yet. She talks in hushed tones that she's told the other's being held there they might be able to leave. There is 19 of them in total, not including Matthew and Francis. Most air types, a few rock types, then Kat as a cloud wielder, another girl who can control snow, and a boy who can control the metal. His binds are plastic.

Thursday comes and passes. Matthew is forced to move a single drop of water through an overly sized pipe. It's pathetic really, but he pretends to almost fail at it. When smacked for not performing well enough, he says he has no energy to continue. It earns him another hit to the face, and maybe a few to the stomach, but in the end, he and Francis both get an extra side of food.

"He's relying on you two for something," Kat says on Friday while she spoon feeds him. Matthew nods in agreement, knowing even in this situation, it is impolite to talk with your mouth full. His entire crew of cronies is compromised by air types. He's trying bulk him and Francis up.

"I heard he has no element," she leans in close to tell him. Matthew occupies himself by nabbing more food so he doesn't have to answer.

"Why don't they have you chained up," Matthew asks. Kat flushes up and looks away, embarrassed.

"My ability is not as strong, I am weak, and easily controlled," She says, a soft tear rolling down her cheek. Matthew wishes he could wipe it away for her. She smiles at him and shoves the rest of the food down his throat. Matthew doesn't mind. Their conversation is dark, and he's hungry.

Saturday is brutal. Instead of being forced to move their own element, younger kids and even some of the older goons are using their powers on them. Matthew's skin is rubbed raw by the sand flying at his face and his lungs are caving in from having the air ripped away from them. He sees the metal boy for the first time. His face is blank while he crumples the metal around their hands, twisting the structure and nearly breaking the bones inside. Matthew catches sight of his ashamed expression before it is masked once again.

He lays down on the floor while Kat tries her hardest to feed him from that angle. She manages to get him to raises his head. He hisses at the cuts all over his body. Breathing is still difficult and he almost wishes they would throw him back in the water so he could drown. Francis is worse off. He screamed loudly when the kids were told to use their powers on him, making the goons use their powers harder, trying to force the kids to do the same. It ended in a mess of tears and Francis's body bloody. Matthew couldn't watch.

Nothing happens on Sunday. He's left in his room the whole day. Kat doesn't come. He starves.


	12. Chapter 12

Monday he is thrown back into the pool with Francis at his side. They both had a good gulp of air this time, expecting it. They stay under for four hours this time. They could go for five but Francis shakes his head nodding upwards. Matthew cringes. He doesn't want to see those people again. Ever. He surfaces anyway. He glares as they lift Francis harshly out of the water. His body is cleaned up now, the water working its magic on his skin to fix him up. Matthew glares and kicks away once again to avoid their hands.

"My dear please," says the man in the suit, Matthew glares and ducks down to avoid any air. He can hear Francis scream. He surfaces again to see the suited man with a knife to his friend's throat. Matthew glares harder, his blood starting to boil. He gasps and looks around him. It's not his blood. It's the water. He swims over to the edge and hoists himself up, backing away from the scalding hot liquid reddening his skin. He glances to Francis whose eyes are wide. Just like the man in the suit. He glares at Matthew. He stomps over and grabs his hair, pulling him from the ground. Matthew winces.

"Are you a fire type?" The suit man snarls at him. Matthew keeps his eyes shut. It hurts. He hurts all over. He opens his eyes and tries to breathe. He shakes his head. No he is not a fire type.

"Yo fuck face," A smile crosses his face. He can't help it. He's dropped to the ground. The pool is steaming away, making the room clouded in a mess of fog. The man in the suit turns around to glare at Lovino, leaning against the doorway like he belongs there. His eyes are burning with rage, his hands are smoking as is the rest of him. The man in the suit gasps and stumbles away from the angry teen.

Lovino smirks and a fire ball spikes into his hands. He throws it across the pool, running his way over. The goons scream and work to rip the air from the room. The fog thickens considerably, latching onto the goons and swirling around them, making them invisible to those on the outside. Kat is biting her lip, moving her hands from side to side, deep in concentration. The air people run into each other, some so hard they knock themselves out. Others trip into the wall or just to the ground, indisposing most of them. They are set on fire. Kat squeaks and loses her grip on them. The man in the suit is gone.

"Kat find the metal type!" He yells out, using his voice for one of the first times the whole week. Kat nods and helps them to their feet. Lovino comes over and puts an arm around his waist to guide him along. Alfred and Arthur are breaking open the doors. Antonio and Gilbert are guiding the kids away with Ivan and Ludwig setting up barriers to help shield the kids from any oncoming attacks from the air goons. Matthew is desperately looking around for the suited man. Kat comes to a door and fumbles with the handle. Inside is the metal bender, leaning against the wall, his short blonde hair dirty.

"Vash please help us," Kat begs, sliding to her knees in front of him. He doesn't change his facial expression as Kat widdles away at his plastic cuffs. They pop free. Vash rubs at his wrists, then stands.

He comes over to Matthew places his hands on the metal. There's a creak and they fall off, Vash's hands indented in the side. He does the same for Francis. They make their way outside. The rest of the kids are huddled in the hallway. Arthur directs them out into the open.

Matthew hisses and closes his eyes into the setting sun. He blinks away, getting his eyes used to the brightness. The other's behind him are practically blinded. The ones that can see help them along. They rush into the trees where Arthur is leading them.

"Did you see a man in a suit?" Matthew voice is raspy. Alfred shakes his head. Matthew groans and follows after the group of kids.

"We have to find him," Matthew orders. Alfred gives him an incredulous look. He groans as well and stops. Matthew doubles back with him to the building. Another set of footsteps follows after them. Lovino is hot on his heels in a second, grabbing his wrist painfully to get him to stop.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" He snaps. Matthew pulls away from the heated grasp on him.

"Suit man," Is all he says. Lovino's eyes widen and he lets go, following now. They burst back into the building. The water from the pool is rushing through the hallways to Matthew, sensing his presence. He circles it around him in a protective ring. They scour the hallways. Lovino shoots random jets of flame up at the fire alarms. The sprinklers turn on. He smirks over at Matthew, now getting completely drenched.

They pause and hear a voice. They take off down the stretch of hallway towards the sound. The suited man is huddled in a corner, talking on the phone. His hand catches fire. The suit man jumps back, waving his hand about to get it to extinguished in the sprinklers. He notices the three of them in the doorway and places his hands on the wall behind him. He musters up a smile.

"Now what?" He sneers. Matthew glances down at the phone, not knowing for sure who he had been talking too. He's not able to get much of an answer as Lovino sets the suited man on fire, an intense inferno blazing around him. Alfred leaves the room. Matthew soon after, sticking back only to make sure Lovino doesn't set the whole building up in flames. The sprinklers kill most of the smoke and most of the other fire. His control is immense, sticking only to the man, and nothing else. When Lovino is sure he can't escape his fate, they run outside, back into the woods where the others are hiding. Vash has removed all the binds from their hands, bent them into wraps and placed them around the children's wrists like a sick joke bracelet.

They travel quietly through the woodlands. Lovino leads, his hand in flames to light their way as best as possible. The older ones are circling around the younger ones to make sure they are all there. The trees break into the opening of a train station. Miss Xiao Mei is there, smiling softly. She pats Matthew sweetly on the head when he passes by as he looks at her curiously. The children pile onto the cart and snuggle close to each other. Matthew leans up against Ivan who hands back his water bracelet. He slips it onto his wrist. Lovino comes over next to him and lays his head on his shoulder. Arthur is next and Alfred completes the train. Across from them is Francis, Antonio and Gilbert on either side of him, petting his hair and snuggling with him.

They ride to an airport. Tickets already handled, and a small plane reserved for them. They sleep the whole way back to their little home in the mountains, just above a tiny town, in a country that doesn't matter. The rescued children are sent to a special holding to recover their wounds and talk to a counselor about any psychological damage. Kat kisses his cheek in thanks.

Matthew walks his way to Mr Yao's room. Ignoring the pleads from his friends to sit down and rest. The door opens with a creak. The air type teacher smiles up at him. He pats Matthew on the head as well when he comes closer.

"Very well done," He says with a relieved smile. Matthew glances at his desk with an odd device on it.

"How did you find us so quick?" He mumbles out, narrowing his eyes at the device and the small lights flickering on the screen. Mr Yao takes the device and hides it in his desk where other mechanical items are. Matthew glares at the ground as a whip of water wraps around his arm.

"Where is it." He demands. Mr Yao sighs and rubs at the back of his neck.

"Just a little below your shoulder blade," He says. Matthew walks out. It makes sense they would track their most powerful of elementals. He rolls his shoulder, wondering if he can feel the tracking chip embedded in his skin. He can't. He finds his friends in the nursing area. Matthew takes a bed next to Francis and smiles at his companion. They hold hands between the space, trying to find comfort in each other. They are left to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Matthew gasps for air when he surfaces, he pushed himself to his limit this time. His lungs are screaming for more air. He complies, keeping his head above the water. Miss Xiao Mei smiles down at him with pride.

"We're going to need to start your test a day earlier if you do that again," She teases, showing him the time on the clock. 17 hours 43 minutes. He smiles runs a hand through his dry hair. He's starving and heads to the mess hall instantly. The rest of his friends are already there, waiting for him to come back. They saved him some of the good food. He settles down next to them all talking about how their tests went.

It's been about a year since their big rescue mission. Upon further searching of the building before it came crashing down in flames, proved that the suited man wanted to train kids for an army, an uprising per se. He believed that the elementals were gods, and should be above the humans, not hiding below them. His body is in pieces of bones, burned to death. Lovino is toasting marshmallows for Alfred and Gilbert. Ludwig has joined their little group and Feliciano is more than happy to be included. Kat sits with them as well, her soft smiles bringing something new to their group. On the weekends, she makes cloud shows for the younger kids.

He digs into his food, not caring how messy he looks. He hasn't eaten in a long time and is starving. Arthur pokes fun at him but no one really comments. Kat hands him a napkin, or twelve. Alfred is talking about how he almost touched space in his height run where the air is thinner. It's his goal to break the barrier into space. He wouldn't be able to get back, but Matthew doesn't tell him that.

Ludwig talks a little about Vash trying to teach him metal wielding. It's similar to bending the earth. He managed to bend a pipe easier than ever before, this time without just brute strength. Ivan is snuggling up to Matthew. His hugs are welcome as always. It's easy to be like with his friends. Simple, an unconcerned about the future. He's 18 now. He will have to set about his life. There's a good chance he could become a firefighter. Or a swimmer, though his ability shouldn't be used for sport.

The group leaves, tired and ready for bed, only up to see how Matthew did on his breathing test. Lovino stays behind, roasting him gooey treats.

"So my fire ball got bigger," He says. Matthew hums, not being able to do much else with his mouth full of melted goodness. Lovino nods.

"It's getting to be the size of a house." He says with a shrug. Matthew snickers into his hand.

"Those are some big balls," He says taking a sip of his water. Lovino snorts, a smirk crossing across his face.

"Fuck off," He says rolling his eyes. Matthew snickers again. He takes the next toasted marshmallow with a smile. It's by far one of the best things Lovino does for them all. He's an instant dessert machine. They sit together talking about their tests without the others there. Their skills are evenly matched, just in different ways. They fought once in the past month, just to see how even they are actually were. They didn't hold back, finally comfortable with each other. They had a teacher or two, and maybe a nurse with them, just in case. Also the whole school watching. They had a huge pool of water for Matthew and Lovino could just summon his element easy.

It ended with Lovino having water in his lungs and almost drowning and Matthew's arms severely burned. He spent a week with his hands in the water and Lovino kept his chest on fire just to evaporate the liquid inside. That had been a good week. Kat fed him again because his arms couldn't hold anything. Lovino made fun of him the whole time, coughing up smoke and mist at the same time.

They didn't fight each other after that. It's all the proof they needed to understand each other. Matthew has never had so much fun. Lovino didn't seem to scared to hurt him either. They both healed over nicely anyway. Their friendship has never been stronger. Lovino's temper has calmed, he no longer randomly starts smoking. His tongue sparks more anyway. He doesn't get mad as often and it takes something really infuriating to get him riled up. Matthew is pretty proud of him.

He and Matthew have gone a few random rescue missions since their first time out. The facility, recognizing their ability to find other kids, sends them out. It's small things, where a child isn't allowed to leave by their parents, sometimes it's diplomatic persuasion and other times it's kidnapping. The children are always willing to go with them. They haven't found another fire type. Though Matthew thinks Lovino doesn't mind.

"Hey Matthew," Lovino starts, tossing a flaming chunk of marshmallow up in the air. Matthew rests his head on the table, the exhaustion of the day finally picking up.

"You said you almost drowned Alfred, and you almost drowned me, have you actually ever.." His questions trails off. Matthew sighs. He peeks up at his friend. Lovino doesn't look uncomfortable with the depressing topic, but he doesn't meet Matthew's eyes.

"Yeah," He says quietly. Lovino nods his head. There is not really anything else he can say. Matthew sits up and fingers his water bracelet. Each bead holds water from a different ocean. There's one black bead, containing sand from the dead sea, and a white bead containing water from the tallest mountain on earth.

"My dad," Matthew says by way of explanation though Lovino doesn't ask for one. They sit in silence while the fire type accidentally drops his gooey mess on the table. It burns until Matthew drops water on it to extinguish the flames. He begins to laugh, Lovino joins in. They head back to their rooms with soft smiles on their faces. Maybe one day Matthew will have to leave, but that is not today.

He snuggles down into the soft covers of his bed, in a facility for children with a special gift. Those that can control the elements around them are sent there to practice and train their powers to make them stronger and learn the ways so not to hurt those around them. It's located in the mountains, secluded from the majority of society. Only a small town below them is their link to the outside world. The country they are in doesn't matter and neither does the name of the town.

It's just a myth anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoe you all enjoyed this story~ Thank you for reading


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